Nowhere but Here
by pensversusswords
Summary: Anna starts her first day at university, and meets the rebellious, motorcycle riding blonde, Elsa. An unexpected bond forms between the two of them as they get to know each other. Elsanna romance... fluff. Just a sweet little story about the awesomeness that is Elsa and Anna. Eventual angst.
1. Cafe

**A/N:** Thanks for checking this out :). This is going to be a sweet romance between Anna and Elsa. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Anna huddled into her jacket, pressing the softness around her body as she shivered inwardly. She scuffed her feet on the sidewalk, kicking up tiny clumps of the soft whiteness that had already fallen from the sky, wondering impatiently when she would get here.

She was leaning with her back against the cold concrete of the building, her mittened hands shoved deep into warmth of the pockets of her down coat. Snowflakes danced lightly across the sky, and past her face, floating softly against the soft light of the streetlamps. The snow was making the city street look peaceful and calm; the way the warm light shone softly against the blanket of snow, making everything bathed gentle glow. Anna couldn't help but thinking how beautiful it was, despite the cold. Winter was pretty, but better admired from afar.

A gentle hand on her shoulder made her turn around, a soft smile already creasing her lips, knowing who would be behind her. The fair skinned girl who was standing there was smiling too, her blonde hair sticking out from underneath the cover of a blue hat that matched her bright, sapphire eyes. Anna took a moment to appreciate her face against the backdrop of a cold, calm winter night, thinking that there was probably nothing in the entire world that she would rather look at.

She reached out a thin hand, and pushed Anna's fur lined hood back, eyes glinting as she stared back at her, as if she was thinking the same thing.

"Hey," Anna laughed indignantly, pulling her hood back around her ears, batting at the other girl's hand playfully. "It's cold, Elsa."

"Really? I hardly noticed," she responded lightly, shrugging her shoulders. "Come on," she said, grabbing Anna's hand and pulling lightly. "Let's go inside."

They walked into their cafe, the one that tasted and smelled like the tender companionship that was strung between them, as they shuffled into their favourite booth, eyes smiling at each other as they ordered the same drinks they did every time. There was something comforting in the familiarity of having a _place _with someone you cared about. As if there was one place in this entire world where you could go, even if everything was crumbling around you, and this tiny little coffee shop with memories of quiet laughter and late night conversations hung on the walls, would still be standing for them to go in and inhale the warm spiced air, and sip on their hot coffee. Pure bliss, is the word that Anna would use to describe it.

Anna thought that there was absolutely nowhere in the world she would rather be, but right here, across from Elsa.

* * *

_A year earlier..._

Anna was dashing down the stairs, clutching the railing and scurrying as fast as her feet could take her without drawing too much attention to her. She turned right at the bottom of the stairwell, and slowed down to a speed walk, her eyes peeled for the right classroom. The hallways were pretty much empty, there were a few bored looking people leaning against the walls who hardly gave her a second glance, but other than that they were pretty much deserted. The reason for this was that Anna was late.

On her _first_ day.

When her alarm had gone off that morning, she had rolled over and hit the snooze button and told herself that in five more minutes she would get up. That must've happened a dozen more times, because the next thing she knew she was twenty minutes late for her English class. Fantastic. As if she wasn't nervous enough for her first day of university already.

Finally she found the room. 225. The door was shut, and she paused before opening it, taking a deep breath.

_You can do this Anna. Keep it together._

She exhaled loudly and shook herself, then slowly turned the knob and creaked the door open as quietly as she could.

The auditorium was only half full, and a dark haired woman who looked to be not much older than thirty was talking at the front of the room. It sounded like she was discussing what kind of books they'd be reading throughout the semester.

Anna carefully closed the door behind her, adjusting the strap of her backpack and looked around the room, trying to decide where the best place to sit was. There were scattered empty seats all over the room, so she had a lot to pick from, but she decided that she should sit close to the back, so she didn't draw too much attention to herself. She made her way to a free seat near the back of the room, and whispered to the blonde haired guy who was slumped in the seat next to it, fiddling with the pencil in his hands.

"Hey, um... do you mind if I sit here?" he jumped slightly, and whipped around when she spoke. He must've not heard her coming in. Anna shifted nervously. "S-Sorry, uh... I was just wondering if anyone was sitting here, or if you would mind if I took this seat."

Suddenly his face broke into a wide smile and he gestured for her to sit down. She thanked him and slid into the seat, pulling a notebook and pen out of her bag, flipping it open to the first page and writing the date.

"I'm Kristoff," he murmured, and she glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye to see that he was still grinning at her. She smiled back at him and gave him a little awkward wave. "I'm Anna," she responded. "Nice to meet you."

"And you as well!" he said brightly, a little too loudly which was met with a dark haired girl in front of them turning around to hiss a "shh," at them with an annoyed glare.

"Sorry, sorry" Kristoff apologized, and looked over at Anna with a sheepish grin. She bit her lip and giggled softly at him, bringing a hand to her lips to muffle the sound, before turning back to her notebook, trying to listen to the professor.

"Late on your first day eh? Great start to the year," he was leaning over to her somewhat, talking out of the corner of his mouth.

She shrugged one shoulder and cocked her head to one side. "Slept in," she replied shamefacedly. "Snooze buttons will be the death of me."

"Ah," he said knowingly, nodding slightly. "The death of us all I suspect. Whoever put them on alarm clocks was truly a mean spirited person."

"The worst," she replied jokingly, with a look of mock seriousness.

"Would you too please be quiet?" the girl in front of them said, her neck twisted around to pointedly glare at them. They both snapped their mouths shut, and Kristoff made the motion of zipping his lips shut, which Anna responded to with another fit of soft giggling. She was glad she'd randomly sat next to this guy; his friendliness and open personality was calming her first day nerves a little bit.

The professor was talking in a enthusiastic voice about reading Oscar Wilde and Poe at some point during the year when she finally turned her attention to the front of the room. _Yes!_ she thought inwardly in approval. She was going to like this class.

She started in surprise when the door behind her slammed shut, and she along with several other students turned around to see who had stumbled into the room with such a resounding thud.

Anna felt her heart jump slightly when she took in the gorgeous girl who was standing at the back of the room, running her hand through the semi-messy platinum blonde braid that hung over her shoulder. She had a motorcycle helmet tucked under her left arm and a bag slung over her other shoulder. She was wearing a leather jacket that hung open with a white button up shirt underneath, which was tucked into a pair of blue jeans that accented the deliecate curve of her waist, highlighting the voluptuousness of her slender figure. Black leather boots were on her feet, and she was standing with one hip jutting out as she stood in a self-assured pose, her eyes flickering around the room with the corner of her mouth curved up in a smirk. There was something about her that just exuded a kind of thoughtless elegance, like a ballet dancer or a young socialite.

"I've heard about her," Kristoff whispered in her ear. "Her name's Elsa, she's a second year. She's got quite the reputation around here apparently."

"What kind of reputation?" Anna whispered back, not taking her eyes off the blonde haired beauty.

"Who knows," he answered, with a verbalized shrug. "You know how people like to talk."

She nodded, not responding to him. The girl was making her way through the aisle, her helmet hanging from her fingertips as she assessed the room, clearly looking for a seat. Just as she seemed to make a decision and was about to slide into the row opposite of where Anna and Kristoff were sitting, she turned her head towards the other side of the room, and her blue eyes met Anna's stare.

Anna whipped her head around to the front of the room, feeling a flush spread across her cheeks at the embarrassment of begin caught staring. _Great, now she probably thinks you're a freak._

She twisted her hands together anxiously, her nervousness coming back suddenly and settling in a hard ball in her stomach. Why had hadn't she been able to stop staring at her? She'd humilated herself already, and she hadn't even been in school for an hour yet.

Hoping that the girl had sat down now and wouldn't notice it if Anna looked at her again, she tentatively peeked over to where she had been standing a moment before.

She was staring straight at her.

She was grinning at her, one corner of her mouth curved and face lit up with a curious, crooked smile. Her eyebrows were raised, making tiny creases in her forehead as she was probably wondering what the hell this awkward redhead was doing staring at her. She raised a hand to her, waving, acknowledging her presence and preventing Anna from allowing herself to believe that maybe, just _maybe_, she was looking at someone else and she hadn't noticed her look back at her. _No such luck_, Anna thought, lamenting her foolishness, and raised her hand to return the gesture before turning away again, the redness in her face deepening further.

Kristoff nudged her side, jabbing her lightly in the ribs, and she gave him a pained look. He smothered a laugh and she grimaced, wishing she could hide her face in her hands and just disappear.

What a great start to the day.

* * *

Later that afternoon, she was heading across the parking lot, ambling across the concrete as she made her way across the concrete. Her hand was pulling at her shirt absent mindedly, as she tried to fan herself from the heat that was beating down on her from the relentless sun, as she daydreamed about cool water and shade. The early morning chill that had been present this morning had faded with the brightness of a mid September day, the remnants of summer shining down through the clouds.

"Hey!" a voice shouted behind her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned around, perplexed, wondering if the person was actually speaking to her.

She turned around to see that girl from this morning, Elsa, standing straddled over the back of a shiny black motorcycle, her arms resting lazily over the handles as she looked at Anna with that equally lazy half smile again. Anna spun around, searching in the immediate vicinity to see it there was anyone else she could have been talking to. Finding no one, she turned back to her and pointed at her own chest in a silent question.

_Me? _

"Yes you," she laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkled at the corners as her face lit up with mirth. She waved her over, swinging her leg back over the back of her mount, opting to lean with one hand against it, the other resting on her hip.

Anna gulped nervously, and after a short pause made her way over as casually as possibly, trying to control herself enough that she wouldn't be red as a tomato when she reached her side.

"H-Hey," she squeaked, then coughed, trying to hide the abnormally high pitch her voice had just taken.

Thankfully Elsa didn't comment on it. She just crossed her arms and looked down at her, her blue eyes boring down into her, and her heart thumped loudly.

_I wonder if she can hear it. It sounds like a freaking drum._

Anna found herself fiddling with the zipper on her bag and averting her gaze as she waited for Elsa to speak.

Finally she did, in a soft, friendly voice. "You're the girl in my English class from earlier aren't you? I'm Elsa."

She stuck a pale hand out to her; smooth skin fading into the gentle curved bones of her wrist. It looked so soft, like silk or untouched snow.

After a moment of Anna staring blankly at her hand, she cleared her throat, and raised an eyebrow at Anna, leaning forward slightly. "I believe you're supposed to shake it, and tell me your name," the silent laughter dripping in her teasing sarcasm.

"Oh, right!" Anna exclaimed, and grasped her hand. Softer, she found. Smooth as gossamer. "Sorry, uh... hi, I'm Anna," she said, plastering a friendly smile on her face. She let go of the hand after a moment, and moved it to clutch her other arm nervously.

"First day?" she asked, folding her arms back across her chest again.

"Yeah, that's right," Anna said simply.

"What do you think so far?" she questioned, her voice shifting into friendly conversation.

"I like it! I think it's great, everyone's so nice" she answered truthfully. Besides Kristoff, she'd met several other friendly people that day. She hadn't expected this formidable goddess to be one of them.

She flashed her teeth at her again. "That's great. So, I'm about to head out right now... Would you like a ride? I've got an extra helmet if you want."

Anna felt her heart rising in her throat, and she cleared it loudly. She found herself really wanting to, wishing she could hop on the back of that roaring machine, and cling tightly to Elsa's back as they raced through the streets. It sounded like something she very much wanted to do.

But her awkward body took over her response in the end, curbing the rebellious desires of her wishes. She shook her head, and smiled politely, taking a step back as she spoke. "Thanks for asking, but I was just about to go get the bus." She couldn't just jump on the back of the bike of a random girl she didn't even know.

Elsa scrunched her nose up cutely, and Anna's heart dropped into her stomach. "Oh come on, this baby's gotta be more enjoyable than the bus," she said, reaching behind her and patting the seat, before grabbing her helmet and sliding it over her head, and peeked out Anna through the space for her eyes. "Last chance," she warned, her mouth muffled by the helmet as she turned the bike on, and it roared to life between her thighs.

She shook her head again firmly. "Maybe some other time?" she suggested, her shoulders hunching up at the question.

Elsa nodded in a agreement. "I look forward to it," she said over the revving engine. She lifted a hand in farewell to Anna, before flicking the visor down and moving her feet to the pedals. Anna stepped back again, and then she was off, streaking across the pavement, leaving an echoing roll of thunder in her wake as she faded into the distance.

As Anna watched her speed off, she found herself looking forward to it too.


	2. Sleeping City

The next day, Elsa wasn't in class. Or the next. Anna strangely found herself missing her face, not knowing why because she had only spoken to her once. Nonetheless, she craned her neck every time she stepped into that auditorium, strained her ears for the revving of her bike's engine when she crossed the parking lot, hoping to see that blonde hair and crooked smile again, and disappointed when she didn't.

A week later, she finally turned to the door to see her stepping inside. No helmet today, and her radiant blue eyes were obscured behind a pair of dark sunglasses. She didn't look over at Anna when she walked down the aisle, pushing the sunglasses to perch on the top of her head, her hair twisted in the same messy braid as the first day she had seen her. She looked more tired this time around though; slight bags under her eyes that stood out on her pale face, and the corners of her mouth were turned down slightly, as if there was someone whispering something distasteful in her ear. She didn't see Anna's smile as she sat down, her hands folded neatly on the desk and her back stiff and straight against the back of the chair.

After the lecture, Anna looked over to see that she was gone already, she must've slipped out early. Disappointment washed over her; she had hoped that she'd be able to catch her before she left to say hi to her again, but she had been too late. _Next time, _she told herself.

The next time she saw her, Anna had arrived early, and there were only a few people sitting in the room, scattered around the auditorium, all of them silently reading or scribbling away in their notebooks. All of them except for one; a certain fair haired girl with her back to Anna. Elsa was already in there, she recognized her from her braid and her trademark leather jacket, and she happily sauntered down the aisle and flopped down into the seat beside her.

"Hey," she said brightly, beaming over at the other girl.

Elsa turned to her and gave her a slight smile of recognition. "Hi Anna," she said softly. The tiredness was still there from last time she'd seen her, Anna noticed.

"You've been out of class a lot recently! Everything alright?" she blurted, and immediately kicked herself inwardly. _That's too personal you dolt, you've only spoken to her once. _

One hand came up to push a strand of her red hair behind her ear, nervousness flushing her freckled cheeks as she prayed that she hadn't offended her or made her angry.

Her expression didn't seem to be taken aback, she just nodded knowingly, her head tilted to the side as she peered back at the blushing girl who felt like she was sitting in a pool of her own awkwardness. "Everything's great," she responded after a short pause. "Thanks for asking."

"No problem!" Anna replied sincerely, relief apparent in her tone. "I'm glad you're great, I mean that everything's great! I was just wondering why you weren't here, were you just skipping or something? Wait, no you don't have to answer that, I'm being intrusive and rude... I'm uh... sorry," Anna bit her lip, and fought the urge to bury her face in her arms. _God, would you just shut up Anna._

Elsa leaned over and gently placed a hand on her thin shoulder, the coolness of her hand seeping through the thin cloth of her t-shirt as she clung to the fabric there. She felt a haze fall over her as Elsa's scent wafted over her like a tidal wave.

_She smells like coconut. And... clothes that have been hanging on the line. _

She gulped, trying and compose herself from her momentary confusion, as Elsa's hand kept resting there reassuringly on her shoulder.

"You're not rude at all, Anna," she said kindly, the remnants of that crooked smile playing at the edges of her lips despite the fatigue that plagued her face. She removed her hand and retreated, and Anna's shoulder suddenly felt a million times lighter at the absence of her fingers.

"Thanks! I mean, I'm glad," she breathed, smiling gratefully at the other girl who just nodded again as answer.

"Anna," a voice called from behind her, and she turned to see Kristoff standing by their usual spot, waving at her with his normal grin on his face, and a questioning look glinting in his eyes as he flicked his eyes over to Elsa. She waved back at him and put up one finger to indicate that she would be there in a second, before turning back to the effervescent blonde.

"You have to go?" she asked, her eyes flickering over to where Kristoff sat near the back of the room.

"Yeah," she replied, an apology in her eyes. "Unless you wanted to come sit with us!" she suggested eagerly.

Elsa smiled appreciatively, but shook her head. "Thanks Anna, but I think I'd rather just sit here."

"O-Okay," she stammered, feeling slightly rejected as she hopped of the chair and lifted her hand in a little good bye wave to her. Elsa returned it, that smile flitting across her face again before it faded, the tiredness creeping back over her features again. Anna turned and went back to her seat by Kristoff, forcing herself to not look back at her again as she walked to her spot.

This time, they didn't speak again for three more months.

* * *

Anna was scurrying down the side walk, the cold November air nipping sharply at her face as the wind gusted against her skin. Tiny flecks of white were floating down from the sky and settling gently on every surface, coating everything in a blanket of white. Anna thought it was beautiful.

The down town streets never seemed more silent than they did when it snowed like this, and as Anna hurried through the peacefulness of winter, she couldn't help but think that it was the nicest time of the year. It was like everything was sleeping; even the cars whirred quietly as the crept by, as if they didn't want to wake up the sleeping city that was bathed in whiteness.

She was on her way to her favourite book shop, to curl up in a quiet corner, to crease open a new book and warm herself inside and out with a cup of hot tea. When she had awoken that morning, her first thought was that was the most perfect way she could spend her lazy, snowy saturday afternoon.

She finally reached the door of the book shop, and heaved the door open after tearing one glove off. She stepped inside the cozy little shop, and stomped her feet to remove the clumps of snow that were clinging to her boots. She shrugged out of her warm jacket, stuffed her gloves in her coat pocket, as she folded it over her arm, decided to keep her wool hat snug on her head, and stepped deeper inside.

The shop was packed from wall to wall with shelves of books, and the air smelled like worn pages and cinnamon, the result of being situated right next to a bakery. It was a welcoming, warm scent, and Anna breathed in deeply as she walked over to the counter smiling at the thin, shaggy haired man that sat behind it with his face buried in a mystery novel and his round glasses slipping down his nose.

"Hey, Max," she greeted him, leaning her elbows on the polished wood. He started and looked up in surprise at her voice, and she laughed lightly in amusement.

"Oh, Anna! Hello dear," he smiled, straightening himself and setting the book down on the counter. "How are you doing today?"

"Great," she said cheerfully, resting her chin on her hands and peering up at him. "The snow is so pretty, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes it is," he said, a thoughtful look crossing his face as he glanced over to the window. "A pain to shovel up later though," he said regretfully.

"Yeah, that's definitely a downside," she laughed in agreement, her nose scrunching up in disgust. She hated shovelling snow, and her parents refused to invest in a snow blower. Her back ached at the thought.

"Funny, isn't it, how something so beautiful can be such a complete pain in the ass," he mused, hopping off his bar stool, chuckling to himself. She laughed along with him, standing up straight as he came out from behind the counter. "Come on," he commanded, leading her towards the back of the store. "I've got a book I think you'll love."

Minutes later, she was clutching a cup of tea she had ran a couple doors down to get, and an adventure book about two teenagers lost on a desert island in her hand that she was already completely engrossed in after a few pages. She was curled up on a couch by the window, the snow still swirling around outside as she stayed warm and snug inside, completely content. Max had returned to his spot behind the counter and was delving into the mystery novel with vigor, both of them reading in silence except for when he would exclaim softly under his breath stuff like, _I knew she was trouble, _or, _should've shot him when you had the chance._

She was so captivated by the book, the two teens were about to get in their first fight about the best way to gather food, that she didn't hear the door opening and someone else entering the shop. She didn't even notice when they stomped their feet, shaking the snow from their body, and walking over to Max who greeted her cheerily. She only looked up when the person spoke.

"I was wondering if you could help me find this book, my friend recommended it to me and told me that you should have it," the familiar voice said, and a shocked Anna looked up from her book instantly, the arguing teens suddenly forgotten, just in time to see a pale hand give Max a folded up piece of paper, surprise colouring her expression as she recognized the soft voice.

"_Elsa_?" Anna said incredulously, rising to her feet and tossing her book aside.

Then she turned around and Anna was struck when her blue eyes were suddenly looking back at her, and she was silent for a moment, taking in the curves of her face.

_I forgot how damn beautiful she was._

Elsa's face split into an ecstatic grin. She still had that braid (why fix what wasn't broken, right?), and that smile was making Anna's knees weak. The leather was gone though, instead she was wearing a relatively light winter coat, and beneath it peaked out a Pink Floyd t-shirt. Her jeans hugged her hips perfectly, and her face looked genuinely glad to see Anna, who was so pleased that Elsa looked so happy to see her. "Anna. It's been months!" she said, coming forward a few steps.

"You disappeared," Anna said accusingly, a frown creasing her forehead.

Elsa nodded, and something flickered across her face, but it was gone so fast Anna thought she might have imagined it. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Some things came up and I had to drop a few classes."

Anna toyed with the hem of her shirt, ducking her eyes and shifting her weight back and forth between her feet, trying to figure out what to say. When she finally spoke, she was afraid that too much of her disappointment at Elsa's disappearing was leaking into her voice. "I thought that maybe we could be friends," Anna said, somewhat dejectedly, raising her head to meet Elsa's eyes again.

Elsa looked genuinely apologetic, but her lips were still bent into that glorious smile. "I did too. We still could if you want to."

Anna nodded, quickly agreeing to her suggestion. Forgiveness wasn't hard to get from her, it seemed. "Yes! Yeah, I'd like that."

Elsa's eyes sparkled at her. "What are you doing right now?"

"Uh..." Anna deadpanned, glancing back at her book and her tea, and swiftly decided that Elsa was a better option. "Nothing," she proclaimed.

"Great," Elsa replied. "Would you like to go get a coffee? I know a really good place up the street."

Anna was already reaching for her coat and depositing her unfinished book onto the counter, giving Max a sidelong glance. "I'll finish it next time."

"Uh huh," he said with one eyebrow raised suspiciously. "Well have fun then," he told her as she slipped her arms into her coat sleeves.

Anna turned around then to look at Elsa again, her bright, open expression waiting for Anna, and just by looking at her friendly, gorgeous face, Anna knew she'd enjoy every second of it.


	3. Hot Chocolate

"I have no idea what to get," Anna groaned, her eyes scanning the menu behind the counter in vain, not knowing what half of the words up there even meant. She turned to Elsa with an exaggerated, pained expression, to which Elsa laughed sympathetically under her breath.

"Everything's good. Pick anything, I promise you'll like it."

"Hmm, that's an awfully big promise to make. You sure you want to make that kind of commitment?" she quipped teasingly, and she could tell Elsa bit back a smile and an eye roll in her direction, opting for a good natured shrug and a slight shake of the head instead. Anna guessed she probably thought that they didn't know each other well enough yet for that.

Anna just shook her head, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets as she squinted up at the menu. "I'm gonna need a minute," she finally declared.

Elsa let out a little sound that was like a sigh and a laugh at the same time. "How about this. I'll pick something I think you'll like, and I'll surprise you," she suggested, tilting her head to peer over at her.

After considering for a moment, Anna nodded enthusiastically. "I like that idea. Should I go find us a seat?"

Elsa smiled at her and nodded, and Anna returned it with a sunny grin, and turned away to find a place for them to sit.

Her eyes scanned the semi crowded cafe, where clusters of people huddled around tables sipping coffee from their mugs and laughing amongst themselves, until she spotted a booth tucked into a corner next to a window that overlooked the snow caked streets. All of the tables were made of a darkish wood, which complimented the rich blue of the walls very nicely, and the black cushion of the booth looked so comfortable even from where she was standing that she knew right away that she'd found their seat. She quickly made her way over, skirting around chair legs and outstretched feet, and slid into the comfortable cushions with a sigh of contentment.

Anna had walked by this cozy little cafe many times before, Cafe Glace it was called, always meaning to go in but deciding that it could wait for another day, and now she had wished she hadn't. It was the kind of place that you would go to when you're feeling down, because everything smells like warmth and home, and there was a constant sound of soft laugher floating around the room. The air was drenched in the scents of coffee and baked goods, spices and pastries mingling together to create an intoxicating aroma. Anna loved the place the instant she stepped inside.

She shrugged out of her coat, and tossed it onto the chair beside her, before scooting her hands underneath the folds of her thick sweater, burying her fingers in the fabric. She almost wanted to kick her boots off and curl into a ball on the chair as she waited, but she resisted the urge, and waited patiently.

It didn't take long for Elsa to appear beside her, two ornately decorated mugs steaming in her hands as she smiled down at Anna, who lit up when she noticed she was there.

"That was quick!" she exclaimed, gesturing with one hand for Elsa to sit. She obliged, slipping into the booth opposite her, and gently placed the hot drinks on the table. She slid one over to Anna, which was heaped with what appeared to be whipped cream and some kind of powder sprinkled delicately over the top.

"It's not coffee," Elsa warned, her nose scrunching up as she spoke. "I hope that's alright."

"Of course!"

Anna reached over with one hand to pull the drink over to her, before tentatively raising it to her lips, eyes flickering up at Elsa who was staring at her expectantly. She took a tiny sip, and her face lit up as her mouth was filled with the delicious beverage.

"Hot chocolate!" she grinned, after swallowing the hot liquid. "And... wait let me guess. Peppermint?"

Elsa nodded, a satisfied look on her face. "I'm glad you like it. I thought you might." Her slender fingers curled around her mug as she raised it to her lips, her sapphire eyes gazing over the rim.

"What did you get?" Anna asked.

"The same," Elsa replied as she set her mug back down. "It's my favourite actually."

Anna fought a blush that threatened to redden her cheek. Something about knowing Elsa had thought that her favourite would be the best thing to offer her made her feel warm inside. Even though it was just a cup of hot chocolate, giving someone something that was your favorite, whether it was a song or a beverage, was a compliment. It was just really nice.

Anna cleared her throat and tucked her hands back into her sleeves. She needed to say something, start a conversation.

"Do you come here often?" she asked, and immediately winced internally. She wanted to kick herself as soon as the words slipped from her lips.

_You couldn't have picked a more cliché thing to say, idiot. _

Thankfully Elsa didn't seem to mind the inane question, as she stuck one finger into the cloud of cream on her drink and plopped it into her mouth before answering.

"Yes, all the time. It's been my favourite place since I was little."

"It's really nice," Anna said as she glanced around the room. "I'd love to come here to read."

Elsa raised an eyebrow quizzically at her, one hand toying with the end of her braid. "Do you like to read a lot, Anna?"

Anna nodded, curling her hands into fists and rested her chin atop them as she grinned over at the blonde. "I love to read."

Elsa laughed softly, releasing her braid and reaching for her drinking again. "That's great," she replied, her kind eyes sparkling at Anna. She didn't manage to answer this because her head slanted slightly to one side, and the gentle, snowy light that was pouring in through the window beside them lit up her face, like starlight, Anna found herself thinking. The effect was so angelic on her delicate face that distracted Anna enough that she simply forgot to answer. It lasted for only a moment, but it left Anna dazed. She broke their gaze and her eyes flicked over to the window as she quickly reached out for her drink in her momentary confusion.

_Why does she have to be so beautiful? _

There was a long pause and Anna immediately felt the need to fill the silence with conversation, a by-product of being someone who tends to talk most in situations where she was nervous.

Elsa beat her to it though, clearing her throat to break the strange silence. "So what are you studying in school?"

Anna let out a little chuckle. "Well, that's the thing. I don't really know."

"Hmm," Elsa murmured, not taking her eyes off of Anna as she sipped her hot chocolate again. She waited for Anna to continue.

"I mean I'll figure it out!" Anna said quickly. "I just don't know yet, I mean there's so much to figure out, and so many decisions to make... It's just hard to make a choice you have to stick with for the rest of your life, you know? I just..." She trailed off and shrugged, and reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear that hand come loose. She didn't want to scare Elsa off with her rambling.

Elsa was just looking at her with a soft expression, her head cocked slightly to the side, her braid trailing gently down across her chest. She was leaning her cheek lightly on one pale hand, staring at Anna.

"You're undecided," she surmised.

A grin flicked at the corner of Anna's mouth. "Yeah. I guess you could say that."

There was a long pause of Anna picking at a frayed thread in her sweater and Elsa sipping her drink whilst drumming her long fingers against the countertop, before Anna spoke again.

"What are you studying? I mean, I know you haven't been in school for a while, but what do you want to do?"

Elsa smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges. "Art," she said quietly. "I want to be an artist."

"That's wonderful," Anna replied. "I bet you're a wonderful artist."

"Thank you," Elsa responded after taking another drink, and frowned slightly when Anna started to giggle softly behind her hand.

"What is it?"

Anna was bubbling with merriment as she shifted her position, extending one arm out to swipe the tip of one finger across the tip of a surprised Elsa's nose, before settling down back into her seat.

"Whipped cream," she stated, showing Elsa the clump of whiteness she had brushed away from her skin, before wiping it off on a spare napkin.

"Oh," Elsa mumbled, and now it was her turn to blush, and Anna couldn't help but think that as the rosiness spread across her fair cheekbones, she was absolutely adorable. She bit her lip to keep herself from saying it, thinking that she probably already crossed some line by sticking her hand in her face when she hardly knew her yet. So she kept quiet, and kept on drinking her delicious drink.


End file.
